On the recordSeptember 24, 2015
Mr. President, I wish to praise Senate passage earlier this week of legislation I authored, S. 1632, to help combat the threat posed by the Boko Haram terrorist group. I am hopeful that our colleagues in the House will pass the bill quickly so that it can go to the President's desk for signature. Boko Haram is a notorious terrorist organization. Less well known, however, is what the name means: ``Western education is forbidden.'' This descriptive moniker helps explain the organization's determination to terrorize young girls who seek an education--girls who seek nothing more than a better life and a path to independence. Following the horrific kidnapping of 276 girls more than a year ago, Boko Haram has continued to commit barbaric acts of violence against civilians. According to the Congressional Research Service, Boko Haram may have killed more than 11,000 people, with more than 5,500 people killed in 2014 alone. Boko Haram has also pledged allegiance to ISIS, a fellow terrorist organization, in an attempt to further their reach and increase their ability to intimidate the citizens of Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Niger. We cannot sit idly by while Boko Haram continues to terrorize women, girls, and religious minorities in these African nations.…
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